Defining the stereotype of Arabs in Hollywood movies, followed by revealing the events of September 11, explains the most important main reasons for the escalation of the hatred curve against Islam and Muslims around the world and in the West, especially in recent years. Twenty years after the events of September 11, the state of hatred has gone beyond the incidents of harassment and bullying of Muslim women and men to their murder inside mosques, as happened in New Zealand in 2019.
What is even funnier is that after these years, three presidents of the United States of America are holding reconciliation dialogues with the Afghan Taliban movement, and Biden announced a few days ago his withdrawal within September. In parallel, Iraq is witnessing a gradual decline in the presence of the American coalition forces, and this is in addition to the losses caused by the invasion. This is huge for the US treasury.
An American book exposes the truth about Hollywood filmmakers distorting Arabs. The book is entitled “The Evil Arabs in Cinema…How Hollywood Distorts a Nation” and was published in 2001. The author, Jack Shaheen, is of Arab origin. He was born in Pennsylvania to Christian parents and immigrated from Lebanon.
Jack said that hundreds of hate crimes multiplied after September 11 due to the spread of this stereotype in Western cinema, and in his speech about the goal of the book, he says when you distort a people, innocent men, women, and children suffer. He continued his speech that the Nazis’ distortion of the Jews through films and other means of propaganda paved the way for the Holocaust.
At the conclusion of his book, Shaheen mentioned that Arabs appear backward and dangerous when viewed through Hollywood’s distorted lenses. Shaheen lectured at the University of Illinois, and his lectures were dominated by the topic of how to overcome prejudice and stereotypes.
He encouraged Arab Americans and called on them to enter the world of journalism and media-oriented professions. At the time of the book’s publication, film critic Richard Schickel commented in American Time magazine that Hollywood had turned to attacking Arabs to portray them as villains after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War.
One Hollywood film that exaggerates the distortion of the Arab character is “Arabian Nights,” in which Harun al-Rashid is depicted surrounded by a backward, lustful society. Likewise, the movie “Rules of Engagement” attaches a vicious quality to the Arabs. Its events take place in Yemen, and very few films show a positive image of the Arabs. Muslims like the movie “Kingdom of Heaven.”
Despite the onslaught of hatred in Hollywood, international artists come out of their homes to defend Muslims and Islam, and the artist George Clooney has many positions that support Muslims. And in a bold speech by the American actor and director Ben Affleck, he says that America has killed more than they have killed the West, and his speech came in response. On those who attack Islam in a popular television program.
The call of writer Jack Shaheen was fulfilled, and the first American Muslim to win an Oscar in 2017 and actor Maher Shala received the award as best supporting actor in the movie “Moonlight,” in addition to the success of Muslim stars in invading the American film industry, achieving great fame in Hollywood, and distinguishing themselves. With talent and handsomeness, including the German-Egyptian actor Omar Metwally.
